“I always wanted to be in a book club. And there aren’t book clubs for kids my age.” Soleil is 9 years old and she loves to read! So she decided to start her own book club for kids her age. With the help of Tiffany Paisley, the Youth Library Program Manager, Soleil started a tween book club for kids ages 9-12 and it’s been a hit!
“I also wanted more friends. And I really like to be the boss of things. So I started a book club.” Now her club meets every month at the Main branch of the library. At their last meeting the 7 kids in the room talked about what they are reading now and why they like it. They also voted on an official name for the club, landing on “Book Bandits” with plans to create a raccoon inspired logo in the future.
Tiffany was happy to work with Soleil on the project. “I thought, what a great idea! And how cool that this kid came to us with an idea for something she felt strongly about. I was happy to help her put it together.” Tiffany attended the first club as a facilitator, “but they didn’t need me, it was awesome to see!”
Next month they will each be reading a book chosen for them by another club member, “to try something new” said one participant. Soleil hopes the club will get bigger as kids spread the word and find out that book clubs aren’t just for grown ups.
For details on the Book Bandits and a calendar of other library events:
Did you know that you can get free tax preparation at the library every year? Just another example of how our library provides essential community services. From February 2nd to April 15th the Tax Help NM and the United Way of North Central New Mexico set up at the Main Branch and take appointments for one-on-one tax prep with an IRS qualified tax preparer. And it’s FREE!
Click below for more information!
We all know librarians are heroes, and children’s librarians hold a special place in our hearts. Children’s librarians support and nurture our love of reading from the beginning. One of those people is Kate Cornwell!
Kate has been a Youth Librarian at the Main Library for 4 years. When kids and their caregivers show up with questions, Kate is excited to help.
“I really enjoy working with children and helping them find books that fit their interests. I read a ton as a kid. The Hardy Boys was my jam! And I am always excited to help kids find theirs.” Kate says she always knew she wanted to be a librarian but the youth focus came later. “I realized I don’t like adults. So I went with kids instead.” Kate won’t turn away an adult looking for a book of course, “but there’s something about helping young people read. That’s what I want to do.”
Kate skis the Santa Fe mountain on her free time and is “always in constant agony waiting for the next Louise Penny book to come out.”
Visit Kate at our Main library branch and be sure thank your local librarian for all their help and ideas. We love our librarians!
This time the library is teaming up with students from the Santa Fe Prep Teen Action Program. These students are learning the value of volunteering while providing library patrons with skills and experience to better use their technology. Something we could all use help with.
Presented together by Villages of Santa Fe and students from Santa Fe Prep, Boomer Tech is geared towards an older audience that may struggle with the ins and outs of their personal devices. Each session is focused on a different topic from using the camera and saving photos, to creating strong security measures and preventing identity hacking. Boomers are paired with technology wizards from Santa Fe Prep to get guided support learning new features and how to make their technology experience fun and beneficial.
For more about this program, visit the library event page.
Visit our website for a complete list of sale dates for 2026!
Thank you for reading The Bookmark, and thank you for supporting the library!
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